Democrats from 2020 feel more emboldened to call Trump racist

Democratic candidates in the presidential election are becoming more comfortable with the labeling President TrumpDonald John TrumpTrump observes Portland "very closely" as he prepares to face dueling protests WaPo calls Trump administration a "threat" to endangered species Democrats are they becoming like Trump? MORE a racist or white supremacist, highlighting his treatment of the violent incidents that divide the race in Charlottesville, Virginia, and El Paso, Texas.

White House hopes that previously focused on Trump's equivocation in the aftermath of Charlottesville's white nationalist rally in August 2017 have since broadened this criticism to include mass shooting in El Paso, where the suspect reportedly published a report. manifesto denouncing an "invasion" of Latinos and reportedly told the authorities that he wanted to kill "Mexicans".

The Democratic contenders quickly lost the time needed to link the shooter's rhetoric to Trump's description of immigrants as "thugs" and "criminals" and his characterization of migrant caravans as "an invasion".

"[Trump] brought help and comfort to white supremacists. He winked and nodded, "Sen. Elizabeth WarrenElizabeth Ann WarrenDemocrats Are They Becoming Trump? Manufacturing Decreases and Raises Questions for President Trump Volatile Presidential Elections Raise New Concerns MORE (D-Mass.) Told the New York Times just days after the shooting in El Paso that killed 22 people.

Former representative Beto O 'RourkeBeto O 'RourkeHillicon Valley: The Proposal O' Rourke Targets the Legal Shield of Technologies | Dem wants a public review of the agreement reached between FAC and T-Mobile, Sprint | Voters focus on cybersecurity | Instagram allows users to report erroneous information O & # 39; Rourke Proposes to Empower Technology Platforms in Hate Speech Hill & # 39; s Campaign Report: Battle for Senate begins to take shape MORE (D-Texas) and entrepreneur Andrew YangAndrew YangVideo of Andrew Yang dancing for the & # 39; Cupid Shuffle & # 39; South Carolina goes viral Hill's Campaign Report: The battle for the Senate begins to take shape Poll: Sanders' support among students reaches its highest level since April MORE Among the Democrats of 2020, Trump was described as a white supremacist following the August 3 mass shooting.

"As we saw in El Paso, Americans were killed because you fanned the fire of the racists," said Julian Castro, presidential candidate of 2020, in an announcement targeting Trump published this week. "Innocent people were shot because they were different from you … because they look like me, they look like my family."

Trump's re-election campaign claims that the proliferation of allegations of racism is nothing more than what the Democrats are gritting.

"For two years, the Democrats have described President Trump as a Russian agent, and now that the Russian hoax is torn, they have gone white supremacist," said Trump's campaign communications director, Tim Murtaugh. , adding that Castro's advertisement was "fake and ridiculous on his face".

Trump himself has rejected charges of racism and accused Democrats and other opponents of using the term "racist" only when they do not have legitimate criticisms of his presidency.

"I do not like it when they do it because I'm none of those things," Trump told reporters last week when he was asked if he thought it would be beneficial to him when the Democrats would call it, along with its supporters, white supremacists.

"I think it's a shame," he added. "And I think it shows how desperate Democrats are."

But as Trump and his allies reject the labels as political ploys of potential candidates for 2020, they are still striving to contain the fallout from the president's reaction to the deadly "Unite the Right" protest in Charlottesville that is taking place. Was held two years ago this week.

The president's remarks had been widely criticized at the time, blaming both white supremacists and counter-candidates, and Democrats were banking on the incident that would have affected voters in 2020 while they were trying to paint Trump as unfit to lead and unable to unify the nation.

This week, several Democratic candidates celebrated the anniversary of the Charlottesville rally, when white nationalists marched on the campus of the University of Virginia chanting anti-Semitic slogans. The protesters subsequently clashed with counter-candidates, leading to the death of Heather Heyer, who was killed after a man drove his car in a crowd.

"We all have the responsibility to condemn white nationalism – every time we see it," said Montana's governor. Steve BullockSteve BullockBullock mocks Trump with an online tool to determine if Greenland is for sale CNN will host Blasio, Bullock town halls question Native rights advocates question the 2020 commitment of Democrats MORE said in a statement. "We are talking about the country we are passing on to our children.We deserve better than a president who sees" good people on both sides "- and together we can do something about it."

O 'Rourke, whose hometown is El Paso, tweeted, "Two years ago, neo-Nazis marched in Charlottesville and killed a woman named Heather Heyer." This violence metastasized Pittsburgh to El Paso, and the violence will continue until defeat.This hatred and the man endorsing these "people very well" oval office. "

Former Vice President Joe BidenJoe BidenAre the Democrats turn like Trump? Volatile presidential elections spark new worries British bookmaker: Warren replaced Biden as Democratic primary favorite MORE made Charlottesville a central part of his campaign message. Biden's April launch video featured scenes from the rally and described the event as a "defining moment" for America.

During the election campaign, Biden spoke of the events in Charlottesville in his liaison speech, condemning Trump for his remarks about "remarkable people on both sides". In a speech earlier this month, Biden accused Trump of "fanning the flames of white supremacy".

"I said at the time that we were fighting for the soul of this country," said Biden in Iowa. "I repeated it when I announced my candidacy, and I say here today, we are in a battle for the soul of this nation.That 's why, Primarily, I'm running for president Charlottesville has not been an isolated incident. "

The President was surprisingly willing to review his remarks which triggered a bipartisan reaction.

"You had very bad people in this group, but you also had very good people on both sides," Trump told a news conference on August 15, 2017 at Trump Tower, referring to the group. of white nationalist demonstrators.

He added that he felt that "the violence that ensued was to blame"

In April, Trump insisted that he was "perfectly" answering questions about the rally and that he was defending right-wing participants who were protesting the plan to remove the statue from the general assembly. Confederate Robert E. Lee.

On Wednesday, Trump once again tackled the Charlottesville controversy. He retweeted a video in which former advisor Steve Cortes said the media inaccurately reported that the president was referring to neo-Nazis and white supremacists as "very kind people".

"Thanks Steve!" Trump tweeted in share the video.

The president and his allies seized the present moment in the August 2017 press conference at the Trump Tower, in which Trump said that neo-Nazis and white nationalists "should be totally condemned".

The ongoing defense of Trump's comments in Charlottesville shows his willingness to back out of his remarks, even despite many criticisms.

Trump in recent weeks has added to his catalog of incendiary statements tweeting that four women members of Congress should "come back" from where they came from, in addition to attacking Baltimore as "a disorder infested with rats and rodents "where no one would choose to live.

According to Democratic strategist Brad Bannon, these incidents provoked a brutal response from the presidential candidates in the 2020 presidential election, a seemingly intuitive response that could prove problematic and even embarrassing down the line.

He argued that the prospective Democratic candidate will have to proceed with caution and presented the 2016 competition as a case study.

"Hillary ClintonHillary Diane Rodham ClintonDo Democrats Turn Like Trump? The Hill 's Campaign Report: The Battle for the Senate Begins to Take Form The Hill & # 39; s Morning – Trump Report and the New Controversy on the "Israel Squad & # 39; MORE was caught in the trap of answering the president and going through those long cycles in which the president said something insulting, and Hillary Clinton responded, "Bannon said. "I think it was a mistake in the Clinton campaign."

"As a Democratic strategist, I would not want this Democratic candidate, whoever he is, to make the same mistake," he added. "So the president says something insulting and racist, you have to answer it, you can not ignore it, but then you have to continue, keep an eye on the price and focus on the problems of bread and butter."